Worm-and-chain driving-gear.



No. 642,430. Patented Ian. 30, 1900.

- n. CDRGORAN.

W05" AND CHAIN DRIVING GEAR.

(Application filed June 15, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

/N VE N TOR WITNESSES TNE uonms PETERS w Puo foumm. WASHINGTON, u. c.

Patented Jan. 30, I900. D. COBCURAN. WORK AND CHAIN DRIVING GEAR.

(Application filed June 15, 1899.)

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

5 Mum-n: PETERS c0, Pansy-Irma" WASHINGTON 0 c UNITED STATES PATENT Erica.-

DANIEL 'OOROORAN, or YONKERS, NEW YORK.

WORM-AND-CHAIN DRIVING-GEAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 642,430, dated January 30, 1900.

Application filed June 15,1899. Serial No. 720,680. (No model.)

T (ZZZ whom it may concerni Be it known that I, DANIEL CORCORAN, of

- Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Worm-and-Ohain Driving-Gear, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in worm-and-chain driving-gears and is particularly designed for use in connection with elevators and similar hoisting machinery.

The invention consists of the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation and partial section of my device. the worm and chain. Fig. 3 is a section taken through the pivot-points of two consecutive links. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a slightlymodified form of construction of my device, and Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrams showing a slightly-modified manner of connecting the chain with the drum.

The object of my invention has been to construct a worm-and-chain driving-gear which shall avoid many of the objections raised against the ordinary constructions of this nature and to produce such a device which shall not be liable to get out of order and which is readily accessible for repairs. 7

In Figs. 1 and flare shown preferred forms of my construction, while the other figures show modified forms, which, although the same in appearance, are slightly different in the manner of conducting the chain about the guide -pulleys and connecting it with the drum. The drum of the elevator or hoisting machinery is mounted upon a shaft D, and upon one end, or secured to the same shaft, are one or more disks D, which are provided with notches d in their periphery adapted to engage the pivot-pins of the chain. These disks are therefore in effect sprocket-wheels. In Fig. 1 a portion of one disk is broken away to show. the other disk, which is directly behind it.

The chain, or chains, where two are employed, is conducted upon certain guide-pulleys to bring it in contact with a portion of Fig. 2 is a plan view of.

in front of the worms B or B and is engaged thereby, so as to have motion communicated thereto. The worms B B are made right and left and are secured to a common shaft A, by which construction the end thrust of the worms is neutralized, being taken up by the driving-chains.

In Figs. 1 and 2 two driving-chains are used, and of course two disks D are used, one meshing with each chain, the chains beingso arranged that they lie upon opposite sides of the worms. The chains as herein constructed consist of links 9, which are of Z shape, being composed of two sections which are 0&- set from each other, these links being pivoted to each other by means of pivot-pins g. The pivot-pins g project beyond the edges of the links and at one end are each provided with a head g which serves to retain the roller 9 upon the pin. This roller is the part of the chain which enters the groove between the threads I) of the worm. The opposite ends of the pins 9 project sufficiently to receive the collars g, which are fixedly secured to the pins g by means of pins 9 or any other suitable means. The chain G, which engages the worm B, lies above one side of the shaft, and the chain G, which engages the Worm B, lies upon the opposite side of the shaft. Each of these chains is placed with the rollers 9 next to its worm.

Immediately opposite each of the worms and engaging the outer edge of the chain is located a thrust disk 0. This disk bears against the edge of the chain and turns freely upon its pivot, thus holding the chain firmly up against the worm. The chain G passes about the guide-pulleys F, F, F, E, and E, passing in its course between the two pulleys E and E, beneath and in contact with the lower portion of a disk or sprocket-wheel D. The pulleys E and E are duplicated upon their shaft and engage both chains G and G, holding the same in engagement with the sprocket-wheels D. These guide-pulleys are most or all of them provided with flanges upon at least one side, which prevent the chain from moving away from the worm.

The guide wheel or pulley F is designed to carry the chain G downward, so that it will ICO dip within the oil in an oil cup or box J, so that the chain and the worms will be at all times thoroughly lubricated. The chain G passes over the pulleys E and E and also over pulleys E and E The pulley E is carried at a lower elevation, so that the chain is caused to pass downward into the oil in the oil cup or box J.

Power is applied to the worm-shaft A in any suitable or desired manner. As this shaft rotates the worms will engage the rollers 9 upon the two chains and cause them to travel over their guide-pulleys and at the same time cause the disks D and the drum connected therewith to rotate. By reason of the manner of conducting the chains about the guide-pulleys and connecting them with the sprocket-wheels D both chains are caused to travel in the same direction and turn the drum in the same direction.

In Fig. 4c a modified form of construction is shown. This differs from the form shown in Fig. 1 only in the number of guide-pulleys and their position and as a consequence thereof in the manner of placing the chain. The chain G simply passes over the two guidepulleysfand f and engages the under side of one of the sprocket-wheels D. The chain G passes over the guide-pulleys f and f and passes about one of the sprocket-wheels D. WVhile the principle of driving the drum is the same in the two forms, they differ considerably in appearance.

In the form shown in Fig. 1 the chains only engage the outer periphery of the sprocketwheels D on one side, so that the drum and the sprocket'wheels may be readily removed for repairs without interfering with the worms or the chains, which is not the case with the construction shown in Fig. 4, in which one of the chains passes about one of the sprocketwheels D.

' In using two chains and two sprocketwheels D, as is shown in Figs. 1 and 4, it is desirable that one of the sprocket-wheels be adjustable angular-1y relative to the other, so as to properly adjust the strain upon the two chains. With this object in View one of the wheels is provided with segmental slots (1 and is not rigidly secured to the shaft, but is held in place by means of bolts (P, which pass through the said slots and are secured either to the drum or to the other of the sprocketwheels.

In Figs. 5 and 6 are shown by diagrams a different manner of conducting a single chain over the guide-pulleys, so as to be engaged by both of the worms. In these figures the sprocket-wheel is represented by D and the chain by I and I in the two figures. The chain in Fig. 5 is conducted about the guidepulleys l, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the order given, at the same time being engaged at its edge by the thrust pulleys or disks 0. By this manner of conducting the chain about the guide-pulleys the action of the two worms upon the chain will be to move it in the same direction. This form of construction also makes it possible to remove the drum and the sprocket-wheels for repairs, if necessary, without disturbing the worm or the chain. In Fig. 6 is diagrammatically shown a single chain which passes about the sprocket-wheel D. This chain 1 is conducted about the guide-pulleys 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 in the order given and then about the sprocket-wheel D, being at the same time engaged at its edges by the thrust disks or pulleys O. The worms B B are shown in these two figures only diagrammatically. The driving mechanism being reversible, the chain will pass about the pulleys in both abovecases in either direction, the direction depending upon whether the device is running forward or backward.

The part of the chain which is herein shown as engaging the sprocket wheels or disks D is the collar 9 although the two may be engaged in other manners.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and' desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A chain driving-gear,comprising a worm, a chain having side projections extending from an edge thereof and adapted to enter the grooves in the worm, pulleys over which the chain passes, and a thrust-disk having its face engaging the edge of the chain opposite the worm and holding the chain up to the worm.

2. Achain driving-gear,comprisinga worm, a chain having links and pivot-pins passing through the links, rollers secured to turn on the projecting head of the pivot-pin, and adapted to enter the worm-grooves in combination withathrust-disk havingitsface enga ing the edge of the chain opposite the worm.

3. A driving mechanism for drums,comprising a right and a left worm secured upon a common shaft, two endless chains each hav ing side projections adapted to enter the grooves in the worms, guide-wheels for the chains, presenting them to opposite sides of opposite worms, and two notched disks secured to the drum and engaging each the outer side of its respective chain.

4. A driving mechanism for drums,con1prising a right and a left worm secured upon a common shaft, two endless chains each having side projections adapted to enter the grooves in the worms, guide-wheels for the chains, presenting them to opposite sides of opposite worms, and two notched disks secured to the drum and engaging each the outer side of its respective chain between two of the guide-pulleys therefor, whereby the chain is held securely between the disk and the pulleys and slipping is prevented.

5. A driving mechanism for drums,co1nprising a right and a left worm secured upon a common shaft, two endless chains having side projections adapted to enter the grooves in the worms, guide-wheels for the chains, presenting them to opposite sides of opposite drums, thrust-disks engaging the outer edges of the chains opposite the worms, and two notched or sprocket disks secured to the drum and engaging each the outer side of itsrespective chain.

6. A driving-gear for drums, comprising a right and a left worm secured to a common shaft, chains having side projections adapted to engage the threads of the worms, guidewheels properly presenting each chain to its respective worm, an oil-box receiving a portion of each chain asit passes about the guidewheels, and sprocket-wheels or notched disks secured to the drum and engaging the chains.

7. A driving-gear comprising a worm, a chain having edge projections adapted to enter the groove in the worm, pulleys over which the chain passes, certain of said pulleys being so disposed as to produce a depressed or lowered run of the chain, an oil-cup receiving said run, and a thrust-disk having its face engaging the outer edge of the chain opposite the worm and holding the chain up to the worm.

8. A drum-driving mechanism, comprising right and left worms secured to a common shaft, two chains, one engaging each worm, and two toothed disks secured to the drum and engaging each its respective chain, one of said disks being adjustable angularly relatively to the other.

9. A drum-driving mechanism, comprising a right and a left worm secured toa common shaft, two chains, one engaging each worm, two toothed disks secured to the drum and engaging each its respective chain, one of said disks having segmental slots, and clampingbolts passing through said slots, whereby one disk may be adjusted relative to the other disk and secured in place.

DANIEL COROORAN.

Witnesses:

JAMES A. TAGGART, WILLIAM WATSON. 

